Luck of a Prince
by FaerieTales4ever
Summary: Two-Shot: Henry wants to ask Grace to the Gold's St. Patricks Day party, but he's afraid of what she might say. With the help of Rumple, Belle and a little luck, can Henry finally work up the courage to confess his feelings? COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A two shot for Jessie Hodges and an entry for the St. Patricks Day Contest on my FB page (check out my profile for the link! Couldn't have been done without my fellow OUAT writer and friend ooncer! Thanks a million girl!**

** Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show. **

1

The Luck of the Irish

Henry Mills stood on the porch of the Gold's salmon colored Victorian twiddling his thumbs nervously. Today was St. Patrick's Day, the day of luck. He had made himself a promise that by the end of the day, he was going to ask Grace out. The Gold's were having a party and he wanted to invite her. Only he didn't have a clue how to even talk to a girl, let alone ask her out. Especially not one as pretty as Grace. Not to mention the fact that her father was the Mad Hatter, if he found out what Henry was trying to do and decided he didn't like it…well, Henry wasn't sure what he would do. Most of the time Jefferson seemed like a nice, simple, caring man, but Henry knew that whatever had happened in Wonderland still affected him somehow, and that those traits showed themselves mostly when he was angry. And making the Mad Hatter angry was not something Henry wanted to do. He'd thought about asking Emma or his grandparents to help him with his little conundrum, but quickly dismissed the idea. He could just imagine it…

* * *

"You want to know how to ask her out?'" Emma asked when her son confessed his dilemma.

Henry nodded, solemnly

"Alright then, kid. Here's what you do. Walk up to her and say 'Hi, Grace. I was just wondering if you would go out with me?"

"Oh, very funny, Ma!" Henry huffed, rolling his eyes

"Emma!" chastised Mary Margaret, who crossed over from the kitchen and sat down next to her bemused grandson. "Henry, this is a big deal!" her eyes shone with excitement and she took a notepad from the coffee table drawer. "If this is going to be a real date, you'll need to formally ask her out. Then we'll need to get you a tux and some new shoes because you can't just go in your-"

"A tux? Mary Margaret, he's asking her to a St. Patrick's Day party, not the senior prom!" Emma chimed in.

"I agree with mom, the idea is to let her know I like her, not scare her away!"

"Honestly, kid? Just wear your jeans and a green shirt. That's what everybody will be wearing."

"He can't wear jeans on a first date!" cried Mary Margaret, appalled.

"I did," Emma admitted, half smirking, half sheepish.

"Yes, well that explains a lot," the brunette murmured under her breath, thinking of her daughter's past boyfriends, a jail inmate and a flying monkey. Now she understood how Emma attracted such...oddballs.

* * *

Henry shook his head, laughing to himself. That might not be exactly what they would say, but he knew his mother and grandmother would have very...different opinions on the subject, and he was already nervous enough. He wondered what they would think if they knew he was asking Rumplestiltskin of all people, for dating advice. Since the whole Neverland incident, everyone had been on better terms with the pawnbroker, especially after the Wicked Witch had brought him back from... well who knows where he was? Still, Henry knew his parents and the rest of the family, Charming and Snow especially, were wary of making deals with the former Dark One. As it stood though, Rumple was Henry's only lead right now. He'd remembered Red saying a while back that Rumple and Grace's dad Jefferson were good friends, so hopefully his grandfather knew something that could help Henry impress the Hatter's daughter. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and rang the doorbell.

Rumple opened the door, dressed in a long robe and fuzzy slippers, his hair sticking up at all ends. Henry had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud, "Henry? Lad, what are you doing here so early?" the pawnbroker asked.

"I, er, was wondering if I might be able to ask you for some advice?" Henry stammered nervously.

"Advice? At 10:30 in the morning?" Rumple huffed.

"Er...um...yes?" Henry cringed as his voice cracked on the last word. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea… "It couldn't wait til a more suitable time?" his grandfather sighed.

"Er...um...I kinda have a deadline…"

"A deadline?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That sounds ominous, my boy. You'd better come in."

He motioned for Henry to step inside and led him into the kitchen where he poured some coffee for himself and got out the fixings to make hot chocolate for his grandson, "Now, what is it Henry? " he asked as he heated the milk and stirred in the the cocoa with a spoon.

"Well, you see, the thing is…" he trailed off, wondering how best to phrase this. He cautiously sat down as Rumple brought over the drinks. He gratefully accepted the hot chocolate, wrapping his hands around the steaming mug. After a long sip, he took a breath and tried again. "I want to ask Grace to come with me to the party tonight." he blurted.

"Ah," Rumple smiled knowingly, "Finally talked to her did you?"

"No, not...exactly," Henry looked down sheepishly, "Actually I haven't said anything to her in weeks. That's the problem!"

Rumple's brow furrowed, "And why is that?"

Henry fidgeted, "I don't know!" he groaned, flustered. "She just makes me so nervous. I never know what to say," he moaned.

His grandfather laughed a bit at the boy's distressed face.

Henry glared, "Grandpa its not funny! What do I do?" his pleading gaze searched the pawnbrokers face frantically.

Rumple chuckled and patted his grandson's hand, "You forget dearie, that it was Belle who courted me, not the other way around. Perhaps you should ask her how she did it."

"How I did what Rumple?" Belle asked, pitter pattering into the kitchen in a light blue nightgown and nearly making Henry jump out of his skin. "Good morning love." Rumple purred, getting up from his chair and wrapping his arms around her waist affectionately, "Henry here was just asking for some advice about Grace. He wants to take her to the party tonight." Gold smiled and Belle beamed at her grandson.

"Oh Henry," she sympathised, "I'm sure Grace would love to go with you. There's no need to be nervous."

"I hope so. I'm just not sure how to ask her," he admitted sadly. "I mean, how do I do it without things getting….weird? Mom and Neal have been going out for months now and they still act fidgety around each other. I really like her and I want to go with her, but I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"How about asking her to go as friends first?" Belle suggested, "Then at the party, if it's going well, you could ask her to go out another time? That way, you'll have the whole party to talk to her and work out how to ask." Henry had to admit it did make sense, even though he had wanted the St Patrick's Day party to be their first "date". At least it would ease him in gently and Belle was right, there was less risk of damaging their friendship that way.

"You know," interrupted Rumple thoughtfully. "I think I might have just the thing in my shop that could help," he smiled and picked his keys up from the counter.

"Really?" Henry beamed and breathed a sigh of relief, standing up to follow his grandfather. Rumple placed a kiss on his wife's cheek and Henry thanked her for the advice before the pair set off in the direction of the pawnshop.

* * *

The little bell tinkled as they entered and immediately Rumple walked through to the back and rested his cane against a pile of ancient books. "Just wait here, laddie," he smiled as he ventured deeper into the cluttered storage room. "And be careful not to touch anything!"

Henry did as he was told but carefully made his way around the shop, looking at the different items on sale. He picked up several items, inspecting them and playing a game with himself, trying to guess who they belonged to. He was eventually interrupted by a satisfied "Aha!" and his grandfather appeared clutching a large wooden box.

He cleared a space on an antique desk and set the box down before waving his hand over it slowly. A green light illuminated it for a second and Henry looked up at his grandfather, eyebrows knitted in confusion and curiosity. "Just a little protection charm," Rumple said by way of an explanation. With the utmost care, he flipped the lock and lifted the lid to reveal a smaller box of emerald velvet.

Henry's heart stopped for a moment. "Er, grandpa, I can barely ask Grace to the party,I don't want to propose to her!"

Rumple smiled with genuine amusement. "Relax, my boy," he said and he pulled up the lid of the box. It creaked a little as he did so and Henry peered over to see inside. On a bed of green silk sat a coin so golden and shiny that he could almost see his reflection in it. There was a shape in the middle that Henry had never seen before.

"What's that?" he asked, his curiosity peaked.

"That, Henry, is the Celtic Cross. It's one of the symbols of St Patrick."

"St Patrick, like the party tonight?"

"The very same." replied Rumple with a smile, "St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. I managed to procure this coin from a powerful magician who enchanted it in such a way that whomever has it in their possession is sure to be lucky."

"So, if I ask Grace to the party with this, she'll say yes?" Henry asked with a hint of doubt. "Indeed," his grandfather confirmed. "All you have to do is turn it over in your hand four times and you can't fail."

Henry grinned. He should have known that his grandfather would have something like this up his sleeve. Perhaps it hadn't been such a bad idea to ask him after all.

* * *

**Ps: If you are reading this, you must like OUAT :) If so, come check out an AWESOME Fanfiction and Art Facebook group I started with WritelkeUmeanit, Emilie Brown, and our fellow Oncers! Its called OUAT Fan Fiction and Creations. The link is on my profile. Hope you enjoyed, and hope to see you there! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the last part of this two-shot! Happy late St. Patty's day and I hope you enjoy! (In case you were wondering, Henry and Grace are 13 here :)) Shout out to ooncer, my awesome beta and co-author for this little story!**

**Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show.**

2

St. Patrick's Date

The fear he had felt when faced with a deadly apple turnover, that was nothing compared to the way his stomach somersaulted now. His grandfather had said he couldn't fail as long as he had the coin. Henry reached inside his pockets and took it out, flipping it over nervously. He took deep breaths as he counted one, two, three, four before returning the coin to the safety of his pocket. He trusted Rumple more than most of the adults; after everything Gold had done to save him, how could he not? But even with the coin, the mansion that was 316 Cottontail Trail made him quake in his sneakers. What was he doing? How did he even know Grace would be home?

_Because_, murmured the little voice in the back of his mind, _it's five o'clock and ever since the curse broke, this is when Grace and her father eat dinner. Of course they're home._

Henry cautiously mounted the large stone steps that led to the Hatter's porch. Having lived with Regna for the better part of eleven years, it wasn't the enormity of the house that surprised him, but the bleakness. He knew from hs book that Jefferson had lived alone here for the curse, going even madder than he already was because for some reason, his curse had been different. It wasn't to forget, but to remember. For twenty eight years he was fated to know of his daughter and her real identity, but never able to interact with her, for fear she might mistake him as a madman. Since Grace had come home, she assured Henry her father was back to normal. Nonetheless, the odd milliner still had a tendency to make Henry uneasy.

Gathering his courage, the boy reached up and grasped the brass top hat shaped knocker, giving it three sharp taps before stepping back. He could hear footsteps approaching the door and was relieved to find that they belonged to Grace, who opened it, and upon seeing who it was, looked at her friend quizzically.

"Henry? What are you doing here?" she asked, not unkindly.

It seemed as though the coin would not live up to its promise when all he could offer were a few stuttered syllables and a reddening face. What was it Belle had said? Keep it casual, ask her as a friend. His hand snaked back into his pocket and grasped the coin. The sharp metal bit into his palm, but Henry didn't care. As long as it could give him the bravery he so desperately needed, he'd gladly leave her house with an imprint of the Celtic Cross. In fact, he took it as a small personal victory that Grace had not slammed the door in his face. He smiled sheepishly and tried again.

"Sorry, I'll start over," he apologized. "There's this party tonight, for St Patrick's Day, at my grandpa's place. I just wondered whether you wanted to… Well whether we could, maybe, go? You know, as friends?" Henry sighed with relief that the invite was out of the way; whatever her answer, he had done what he came here to do. He watched her face carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. Why did she seem...disappointed? Did she not want to go with him? Before he had a chance to contemplate farther, the look disappeared. As quickly as it had come it vanished, to be replaced by a grateful smile.

"I would love to go with you," she said softly before adding, "as friends."

For every ounce of trepidation he had felt minutes before, Henry now felt twice as much elation. He almost took his success and ran away with it.

Until Grace giggled quietly and he remembered she was still standing in the doorway.

"Great! The party starts at seven thirty so I guess we'll come by and pick you up around then?"

"Yeah that sounds-" but her father's voice cut her off.

"Grace, who's at the door? If it's Mr. Gold, our rent isn't due for a week, and he won't get it any sooner," Jefferson called from inside.

"No Papa, its Henry!" Grace responded, her cheeks pinkening at the interruption. "He wants to know if I want to go to the St Patrick's Day party tonight with him and his grandparents," her eyes widened in silent communication with Henry, who nodded in agreement. He knew Jefferson was a loving father, but he was also fiercely protective of his daughter and mentioning that there would be chaperones might sway him into giving permission.

"Alright," came the voice once again, "as long as you're back by nine."

Two sets of eyes sparkled at one another across the porch and Henry realized that part one of his mission was complete.

"So… I guess I'll see you later then," Grace smiled and Henry muttered something about looking forward to it before turning on his heel and practically skipped all the way home.

* * *

Henry fidgeted with his light green pinstripe button up as he, Charming and Snow drove to Grace's house and pulled up outside. Snow could tell he was nervous and made an attempt to calm him.

"Hey, you've already done the hard part," she assured him, turning in her seat to look at him. "And you look so handsome, she won't be able to resist you."

"Nothing to lose, kiddo," Charming added with a wink.

Ignoring the overwhelming desire to run, Henry pulled the handle, stepped out of the truck and made his way across the lawn. Grace must have been looking out the window because he hadn't even reached the porch when she nervously opened the door half way and peered out. She looked as nervous as Henry felt, but one look at the grin on his face made her visibly relax.

Grace was gorgeous. She wore a kneelength lime green dress with cream colored shoes and a headband clustered with four leaf clovers. Her golden curls swung freely in the light spring breeze. For a minute Henry's brain stopped completely as he stared at the beauty before him. When he finally regained control over his body he could still barely manage to string together a sentence. "Grace...I uh, er, you look really pretty," he fumbled through the compliment. Grace giggled and blushed appreciatively.

"Thanks Henry, you look handsome too."

He blushed and they stood silently for an awkward beat, both wondering now what? Suddenly, Henry remembered the small box it his pocket. He pulled it out and offered Grace the shamrock corsage, "To go with your dress," he muttered shyly.

Grace admired it and slipped it on her wrist, "It's lovely Henry, thanks." He smiled and stuck out his arm, and Grace let him lead her to the car. The car ride was less awkward but only because Charming insisted on regaling them with the entire life story of St Patrick, to which Henry and Grace exchanged a series of exasperated looks. Luckily, the journey was short and by the time Charming got to the second name-change in the story, they had arrived. Henry rushed around to the other side of the car and opened Grace's door, helping her out by offering her the crook of his arm once again.

* * *

Grace and Henry led the way, while Snow and David followed, giving each other sneaky smiles and knowing glances over the children's heads. Henry and Grace walked close to each other,but not too close. As they neared the door, Grace's hand drifted closer to Henry's, brushing ever so slightly on his pant leg. The boy noticed immediately. He swallowed and glanced, slightly frantically, between his friend's outstretched hand and his grandfather.

Am I interpreting this right? he silently asked David. Is she inviting me to hold her hand?

Charming nodded subtlely and Henry caught the glint of pride in his grandmother's gaze. She was smiling encouragingly.

The boy gulped and looked back at David, who smiled and winked as if to say Go for it kiddo.

Gradually, as they walked, Henry's hand inched closer to hers. Just before they reached the porch, Henry took the leap and slipped his fingers into Grace's waiting palm. His friend didn't say anything, but out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her grin. Henry glanced back at his grandparents and beamed.

Belle answered the door in a floor-length, jade satin gown and a thin sliver shawl. As soon as she saw the youngsters, her eyes were drawn to their intertwined hands and she gave Henry a knowing smile. When the couple stepped inside, they were greeted by a sea of green. The entirety of Storybrooke seemed to be clustered inside the victorian. In one corner sat all seven of the dwarves, who were drinking tankards of beer and singing 'Oh Danny Boy' in loud, obnoxious slurs. In another, Ruby had swapped her red hood for one of emerald green and was openly flirting with Doctor Whale, who seemed to be falling hook, line and sinker. Henry wondered whether the whole town was using enchanted coins tonight!

The foursome made their way through to the back to get some punch which was also a rich shade of green and, as Rumple assured the worried chaperones, alcohol free. Henry stood awkwardly, swirling the liquid around in his glass as his mind went into overdrive. Should they sit down or stay standing? Would Grace like to be nearer the music? Were his grandparents going to stand by his side for the whole evening?

Thankfully Grace took the lead and asked if he wanted to get some food. "Uh, sure," Henry replied, giving a pointed look towards David who understood it to mean that they wanted some time alone. It came as no surprise that the theme continued to the buffet which featured steaming hot vats of mutton stew and colcannon alongside baskets of wheat bread and a beautifully decorated cake in the shape of a four leaf clover. Not the most adventurous of eaters, Henry tried a small amount of each and found them to be rather bland but Grace seemed to be enjoying it. They found an empty table and perched on the chairs as they chased pieces of carrot around their plates and avoided eye contact.

"You don't look like you're having fun," Grace observed. Clearly she had mistaken Henry's anxious expression for a bored one.

"Oh, no, I am," he tried to assure her, but she was not fooled. He would have to try a different tactic. But what? He didn't want his grandparents hovering, but suddenly, he wished they were. Maybe then things would be less awkward. This dating thing was hard! Henry looked around, trying come up with another idea. Finally he muttered, "Grace, um, I'll be right back, I have to um…"

Henry didn't finish the thought before beginning to weave his way through the crowd. He hated leaving Grace alone, but that coin wasn't helping, he needed advice. Finally, he spotted his grandparents chatting with Belle and Rumple. Henry squeezed through the crowd and made his way over. "Guys?" he asked nervously.

"Henry?" Snow glanced down at him, confused, "What's wrong? Aren't you and Grace having fun?"

The sighed, "No, and I don't know what to do! What if she thinks I'm boring? She'll never want to go out with me!"

Snow bit her lip to keep from laughing at her melodramatic grandson, "Henry, I'm sure she doesn't think you're boring! Why don't you ask her to dance?"

The boy bit his lip, that was the one thing he'd been trying to avoid, "I would it's just…. I don't really know how to dance like them," he confessed, gesturing to the waltzing couples on the floor, "What if I mess up?" Charming placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "You'll do fine bud. Snow and I will come with you. Right Snow?"

His grandmother nodded readily, "Absolutely Henry."  
Henry smiled, relieved, and together, the three of them made their way back to Grace. "Sorry about that," he apologised, and Grace gave him a forgiving smile.

Charming figured he should take the lead and help his grandson out. "Snow and I were just going to dance," he began, "would you two like to join us?" Grace's face lit up and Henry felt a little irritated that he hadn't asked her himself. He held out his hand as a wordless invitation and the hatter's daughter accepted it immediately. As the linked pair snaked their way back to the dancing couples, Henry's spare hand held on tightly to the coin in his pocket. It didn't matter that he had two left feet, or that the only dancing he had ever really done was with Emma as they bopped embarrassingly to the radio.

Grace, it seemed, had enough knowledge for the pair of them because she slipped her hand into his with ease and guided his arm up into the correct position. She then used her spare hand to pull Henry's second hand to her waist and lay hers on his shoulder. Henry's cheeks blushed as he realised how clammy his hands were. Slowly they swayed from side to side and within a few minutes, Henry realised that dancing wasn't so hard. Perhaps it was the prince in him.

"So," began Grace in a voice barely above a whisper, "do friends usually dance like this?"

"Uh, I guess not," Henry replied and his whole body tensed as he prepared for the moment he had planned in his head a dozen times.

"Oh, maybe we shouldn't then," she smiled wryly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, this wasn't what he expected her to say.

"Well, when you asked me to come tonight, you said it would be as friends."

"I didn't… I only…" Henry sighed, disappointed that she remembered his stumbled invitation word for word. "Honestly, I only asked you as friends because… well, I, I was afraid you wouldn't want to come if I asked you to be my, you know, my date." His shoulders visibly relaxed with the relief of exposing the secret that had been worrying him for days.

Grace looked slightly stunned, then hurt, then she beamed and giggled, "Just so you know, for what it's worth I would still have said yes."

Henry grinned from ear to ear.

It could have been the joy of her revelation or the swell of the music that came from the ancient gramophone but before he realized what he was doing, Henry had tilted his head down and placed his lips on hers. They were soft and welcoming but as soon as Henry's brain caught up with his heart, he pulled away, worried that he'd overstepped. Grace looked startled but then her face softened into a sweet smile and she rose up onto her tiptoes gently placing her lips back on his. Henry's eyebrows raised in surprise but lowered as he allowed himself to sink into the kiss. He brought his hand up to just below Grace's jawline to hold strands of her golden waves aside. His heart felt as though it may burst and he could hear its racing beat pounding gleefully in his ears. The pair were blissfully unaware that the entire population of Storybrooke had frozen and were staring in their direction.

They broke away, still completely unaware that they were being watched. Neither said anything, but they were both grinning like fools. Henry reached inside his pocket and ran his hand over the smooth surface of the coin. Magical or not, he was one lucky prince tonight.

_The End_

**Ps: If you are reading this, you must like OUAT :) If so, come check out an AWESOME Fanfiction and Art Facebook group I started with WritelkeUmeanit, Emilie Brown, and our fellow Oncers! Its called OUAT Fan Fiction and Creations. The link is on my profile. Hope you enjoyed, and hope to see you there! :D**


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